1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing apparatus and method for processing image data, and more particularly to the image processing apparatus and method for visibly outputting the image data transmitted from an external apparatus such as a computer or the like.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, it has been known that a computer is connected to an apparatus of this type, e.g., a printer apparatus, via an external interface, document data or the like generated by the computer is input to the printer apparatus, and then the input document data is printed out on a recording paper (or sheet) as an invisible image. In this case, a computer side transmits image data to the printer apparatus as well as a print instruction, and the printer apparatus to which the print instruction is transmitted sequentially records or outputs on the recording paper an image based on the transmitted image data.
However, in such a conventional case, when a secret (or confidential) document is to be output, if the computer is placed apart from the printer apparatus, it is feared that an output paper can be seen by an another person (or stranger) until a user comes to the printer apparatus to take the output paper.
Further, in a case where the image data is transferred from the computer to a copy machine having a printer function, if a third person is carrying out a copy operation, there is a problem that the user cannot know when the transferred image data is output.
Furthermore, in a case where there is a single output paper discharge tray in the printer apparatus, various output papers are output at random on the paper discharge tray, so that the output papers remain on the tray without sorting out or grouping them. Moreover, in an apparatus such as an image formation apparatus having a plurality of functions, e.g., printer function, facsimile function, copy function and the like, even if a single discharge tray is not provided but a plurality of discharge trays are provided respectively corresponding to these functions, any means for sorting out or grouping independently-output sets of papers is not provided on the discharge tray corresponding to any one function. Therefore, since the output papers from such the apparatus are placed at random on the discharge tray, the user cannot discriminate which set of papers is a desired one.
Therefore, in case of taking the desired set of papers, the user must reluctantly take all of the sets of papers from the tray at one time, look for the desired set and then return the remaining sets to the discharge tray. Under such a condition, it is feared that all or part of the output documents are lost.